


The Handmaid's Tale, Season 3, Episode 6, Household

by TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer



Category: The Handmaid's Tale (TV)
Genre: Analysis, Episode Review, Episode: s03e06 Household, Meta, Nonfiction, Season/Series 03, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 03:55:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20269600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer/pseuds/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer
Summary: Warning: Contains spoilers for the episode and other parts of the series. Complete.





	The Handmaid's Tale, Season 3, Episode 6, Household

Open to Marthas orally praying in the snow for Holly Nichole to be returned to slavery, though, they might just be putting on a show to help them continue to survive, and I wouldn’t condemn them for that. June prays their spoken prayers go unanswered, and she also prays that the monster that is SJ will find enough decency to stop this. However, she’d also be good with SJ simply being hit by a truck.

At Lawrence’s, he tells her she’s going to DC to help with the Waterford’s trying to get Holly Nichole back. Hearing SJ will be there, she’s down with that.

This is frustrating for me, but moving on.

On a train, Lydia the chaperone is sleeping. Peeking through the curtains, June sees a humongous cross.

I’ve read some interesting posts about how Gilead seems more non-Jewish old testament than making any sort of claims of being followers of Jesus Christ, and thus, this cross is an odd choice.

Next scene has Lydia and June on an elevator. She’s all excited to see handmaids with their mouths covered, and she has a line about the former building being the work of heathens.

I know would Lydia would sic her cattle prod and yell **Fake News!** at whoever pointed this out, but there’s a good chance her not dying and her even being able to walk after Emily’s attack was due to medical knowledge that’s come from everywhere from the many advancements that is owed to ancient Jewish and Islamic scholars as well as many agnostic, atheistic, and non-religious but spiritual scientists and doctors.

June is instructed to go kneel in handmaid’s circle, and the Aunt or Martha on-duty is visibly surprised at her speaking. Then, the Waterfords come. Rita and June share a nice moment, but like others, I think it would have been interesting to see Rita show anger or frustration or even disbelief over the fact she and others risked their lives to get June out, and yet, here June is.

June goes about how SJ can’t want this, and Rita’s response is, “She misses the baby.”

I wrote several long paragraphs in response to this, but to simplify it: I am unimpressed with this response and with SJ.

Next, they all arrive at a mansion, and SJ fusses about how they should have stayed at a hotel. Waterford is like, ‘Look, sweetie, I will get you the conceived in sexual coercion baby you want if you’ll just shut up and help me advance my career, okay? Our once equalitarian partnership is gone, we’re both rapists and domestic abusers, and any genuine love for anyone or anything, including one another, we once had is gone. But I can use the baby to manipulate you into allowing me what gives me a shred of hollow happiness for a few years, at least, and you’ll be happy until this kid starts showing signs of being a real person.’

The door is opened, but no one is actually there to properly greet them.

And I have to be on SJ’s side here: Just go to a hotel.

Instead, they go inside, and Head Commander Whitlow comes in. He’s played by Christopher Meloni. Cool.

By the way, for anyone who’s read my thoughts involving Meloni on a different show, I promise, if this character is ever revealed to be a serial killer of gay men, I will happily roll with it.

Whitlow ignores the women, including SJ, and he’s like, ‘Look, my wife said we had to host you. This doesn’t mean I’m going to actually be a welcoming host.’

He and Waterford talk about how it’s important they be careful what sort of images are released outside of Gilead, and then, a little black girl who most likely was either adopted pre-Gilead or is a kidnap victim like Holly runs in. Whitlow acts doting, but I’m not sure how much is an act on the character’s part.

Then, more kids and Mrs Whitlow come in. There are six, and some of them are either biracial or ‘adopted’. Mrs W happily hugs a nonplussed Serena, and then, she’s like, ‘Here, hold this clearly white baby girl who will remind you of the kidnap victim who was rescued from you.’

June and Rita leave, and after they part ways, June sees a ‘happy’ family photo of the Whitlows.

Meanwhile, Fred comes into SJ’s room, and I’m actually curious: Did the Whitlows expect the Waterfords to be sleeping single, or did one of them have a quiet word with one of the hosts about hey, would it be too much trouble for us to have separate rooms?

Fred wants her to wear her wedding ring for optics, she agrees to think about it, and after he leaves, she gets all teary-eyed over the footprints of the baby she raped Nick and June to have conceived.

My heart, for some reason, just isn’t breaking.

Over in the room June’s going to share with the Whitlow’s handmaid, she discovers said handmaid has had her mouth sewn shut.

This was shocking to see.

After the shock somewhat abated, I found myself asking some of the same questions others are.

How does she eat? I assumed it’d have to be via IV, but someone pointed out the possibility of drinking mashed food/soup through a straw. I didn’t even stop to consider what this might do to her teeth or the fact her teeth might have been removed. What if she sneezes? What if she coughs? Could swallowing her own vomit cause health issues? Others pointed out, if she has nasal issues, not being able to fully breathe out of her mouth could cause major issues.

Mixed with the shock, I found myself thinking of Loki, but this is definitely not a mythological show.

The next day, I don’t know if this was filmed before or after the Game of Thrones finale, but the shot of June with angel wings definitely brought to mind a shot the other show did with one of their female characters.

Fred is fussing about how the decent amount of handmaids isn’t suitable, and Lydia shows subtle unease/horror at seeing a handmaid’s stabled mouth.

How is this any different than her having a handmaid’s tongue cut out?

Off-topic, but it turns out: A person without a tongue can eventually learn how to talk and be able to taste foods. It’s obviously easier for people born without or who lost theirs at an early age, but there have been adults who’ve lost theirs due to cancer treatments who have successfully regained both abilities.

So, I personally take comfort in the fact that, if a tongue-less or mouth-stabled shut person escapes Gilead, there is a chance medical treatment will potentially help them regain their voice and/or ability to enjoy the taste of food/drinks.

Back on-topic, Lydia’s response to her own feelings is to simply pull the woman’s veil up to hide it.

Coward.

As Fred the director is flitting around, Nick comes in, and he and June share a not particularly subtle moment.

Later, at the Whitlow’s, the kids are all running around playing. June tries to talk to SJ about how a little girl is better off not in a society like Gilead, and SJ’s like, ‘Be silent, you subhuman incubator. Losing someone I actually liked (Eden), and then, the psychological trauma from being physically mutilated broke me. Being broken, however, doesn’t stop me from being a narcissistic sociopath. Me giving Holly Nichole away was in the immediate aftermath of a trauma. It wasn’t a moment of clarity. It wasn’t an act of love. I just hadn’t yet managed to recover from suddenly hitting rock bottom.’

Next, they all go somewhere. It turns out, the Swiss are neutral go-betweens for Canada and Gilead.

They want to talk to June alone, and June’s like, ‘Yep! I’m in.’

For some reason, the Waterford’s ain’t happy about this.

In the room, after getting everyone Gilead-affiliated out, June makes it clear, as the biological mother, she wants Holly Nichole to stay in Canada. Then, she tells them Nick is the biological father, and it’s revealed they heard the tape she sent Luke. She makes it clear Nick wants Holly Nichole to stay in Canada, too.

It turns, however, they’re less focused on the baby than they are getting information on Gilead. The world fears Gilead’s nuke capabilities, and the fact they aren’t having much luck on gathering intel isn’t making anyone breathe easier.

A deal is reached where Nick will give intel, and in return, they will back Canada keeping Holly Nichole.

I like political thrillers and dramas, but I’m also the person who scourers the web for ‘here’s what happened in extremely easy to digest words’. And half the time, using small words still isn’t enough for me to grasp what the ramifications of what happened are going to be, how it came to happen, and why it happened.

So, I honestly don’t know if June was being smart or stupid here, if she should have tried to do something else, etc. I’ve read posts both praising and condemning her, and I honestly fall on neither side.

Speaking of things I don’t know, over to a game of pool being played by Fred and Whitlow. During this scene there are several hints Whitlow might be a member of the QUILTBAG community.

The first indication is him sticking his bottom in Fred’s face, but honestly, I didn’t take this as a hint at first. My first thoughts were: He might be doing this on purpose, but if so, I was thinking it was more along the lines of straight men asserting dominance during sporting competitions, or that it’s normal for people playing pool to take up so much room and that Fred really should be polite in giving him a little more space.

Then, however, he rubs Fred’s shoulder, and Joseph Fiennes deserves credit for his acting here.

I’ve seen the look on Fred’s face on plenty of people, usually women but not always, who are being hit on, don’t like it, and aren’t sure what to do.

He had a somewhat similar look during the butt sticking in his face part, but again, I just assumed he was reacting to something involving the game/the social rules involved in the game.

The little black girl runs in, and she wants to have a tea party. Whitlow’s like, ‘You will humour my daughter, underling.’

There’s a great moment of comedy where the little girl drags Whitlow by the hand, and I really hope Meloni and the child actress had fun doing this bit.

In the playroom, if I forget how horrible most of the adults in the room are, it is actually cute watching the two grown men having a tea party with the little girl.

SJ and Mrs W talk, and Mrs W’s like, ‘Hey, that book of yours we’re no longer allowed to read? I loved it! Me and my possibly not interested in consensual sex with his wife husband didn’t have a close, intimate marriage, and I’m choosing to blame this on the fact we both had high-powered law careers.’

Fred comes over wanting some imaginary sugar, and there’s a POV shot of him focusing on both her ring and prosthetic pinky.

Though, question: Is she left-handed? If she’s not, wouldn’t it be more likely for her to naturally use her right hand to pick up the toy? Did she intentionally decide to use her left hand?

During the night, a non-Rita Martha drags June out of bed to see Nick outside, and this is unrealistic on so many different levels, but moving on: There’s macking, and showing reluctance, Nick agrees to talk to the Swiss.

The next day, it’s revealed the Swiss didn’t get what they wanted out Nick, and one of them warns June about him. She talks to SJ, and it’s revealed Nick might have played a bigger part than everyone thought in Gilead’s creation.

There’s a scene of him being saluted, and was there effort made in making him look so short?

From several different websites, I’ve read Max Minghella is between 5’9 and 5’10. At any rate, I’ve never thought of Nick as short. It turns out he and Yvonne Strahovski are around the same height, though, likely due to her heels, Strahovski has always appeared taller to me.

I have no idea how I’d get height information on the extras in this scene, but either due to their heights or the way this is shot, Nick looks really short to me in this scene.

Oh, and bye for the rest of the season, Nick. I have no idea if you’ll be back for season 4 or not. 

Later, Lydia comes in, and she and June have what some consider a touching moment. I disagree. The scene ends with Lydia helping June put on a mouth veil.

At the Lincoln memorial, Lincoln’s statute head is missing. June is looking at him when SJ comes. They yell at one another, and June correctly calls SJ on both creating a whole fascist, genocidal society just to try to fill the emptiness inside her and on being unable to feel true, genuine love for anyone or anything.

The episode ends with Fred shooting a Nazi-esque propaganda video outside near the giant cross. He’s finally got enough handmaids to make him happy, and when he prays, June kneels down, and they all follow suit. I don’t think June is a particularly good resistance fighter, never mind an actual leader, but I do think this is a cool way of showing how, in-universe, she’s already starting to become one in so many people’s eyes.

Fin.


End file.
